Fear Mongering about Terrorist Attacks

     Question:  How many American deaths  have occurred since 2001 as a result of terrorist  attacks?

 

      Answer:     About 50

 

      Question:  What are your chances of being killed in a terrorrist  attack if we include 9/11?

 

      Answer:     1 in 4 million

    

      Question:  What are odds if 9/11 is taken out of the equation?

 

      Answer:     About 1 in 100 million

   

      I do not minimize the horrors of terrorist attacks.  But they have to be taken in perspective.  After 9/11, all security experts said that future attacks in the United States are inevitable.  I think our security agencies have done an excellent  job of keeping terrorist attacks to a very low level.   It is extremely difficult to prevent terrorist attacks before they happen.   Small groups of terrorists have multiple soft targets where large numbers of people congregate.   Yet the above statistics show the relatively small risk of attack.

     The Republican and right wing media rhetoric, not only this year, but for the past 7 years has done  nothing but fearmonger.   They have been pretty successful in instilling fear  throughout our country.  It is ironic that these tough talking warmongers  are in reality cowards, panicking with every attack both here and abroad.  I have not heard Bernie's reaction to the Paris attacks, but I have heard Hillary's and President Obama's.  They  correctly describe the complexity of the fight against terrorism.  President Obama referred to killing the beating heart of terrorism which will be done.  But its cancerous cells are more difficult to eradicate.  It will take time, sophistication and intelligence.  Hillary correctly stated that  Republican call for militarism will be counter productive. 

        I think a good way to put the threat of terrorism in perspective is to compare it with gun violence.  Since 9/11 there have been about 430,000 gun related deaths in the United States.

       As this election cycle continues, the importance of a Democratic victory becomes more clear by the day.  The Republicans will not solve the problem they will exacerbate  it.   From global warming, to the Supreme Court, to the war on terrorism, the election will be the most consequential of our lifetime.  I hope everyone will be fully engaged  in this  election whether it is Hillary or Bernie.  We must win.

        As always, thanks for listening.

 

Richard

Listen, Liberal

In his new book, "Listen, Liberal: Or, Whatever Happened to the Party of the People?", author Thomas Frank skewers the Democratic Party for abandoning the bottom 90%. Here are some excerpts from his recent commentary in the "NY Times:" 

"...The Democratic Party gave up years ago on its historic mission of serving working people and chose instead to make itself into the party of professionals, of the New Economy’s winners, of a group they love to flatter with phrases like “symbolic analysts,” “wired workers” and the “creative class.” 

"This shifting allegiance is the fundamental reason that Democrats began to identify with Wall Street back in the 1990s (and then with Silicon Valley) but what makes this story so aggravating is the way Democrats keep choosing professionals over workers again and again. One class of Americans they reward with subsidies and forgiveness; the rest of us get discipline. The 1994 crime bill and the end of welfare were all brought to you, remember, by the same Democratic administration that rolled back the rules for banks and telecoms. The North American Free Trade Agreement and its many successors have brought, well, freedom to those who employ but anxiety and diminished lives to those who work. The present Democratic administration has hounded individuals who lied on mortgage applications, but it seems to find top bankers incapable of wrongdoing. And in these years of galloping industrial concentration and power grabs by Silicon Valley, antitrust enforcement has dropped off the agenda. 

"Democrats habitually brush off economic despair with references to “globalization” and “technology,” as though their complicated free-trade deals were the unknowable doings of the Invisible Hand Itself. The problem is not changing the economic system, they say, it is adjusting ourselves to the changes sweeping the world. When they look at inequality, they see not economic failure but individual failure, usually having to do with education, a subject of pious reverence for the professional class. You’re falling because you didn’t study hard enough or you didn’t go to a good school or you majored in the wrong subject."

Candidates at the AIPAC convention

    I watched the speeches of Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz at the AIPAC convention.   Even though the speeches focused on Israel, I thought they gave great insight into the election in general.  So here are my thoughts.

        Hillary's speech was terrific.  It was very thoughtful and very specific. She did not back down from her support of the Iran deal.   She also said that both the Israeli people and the Palestinian  people have a right to live in their own safe and secure countries.  She advocated diplomacy over bloodshed.  She said that no one should give up hope for a negotiated peace settlement.  She reminded the crowd of the unprecedented  level of security cooperation between Israel and the United States during the Obama presidency.  And she referred to the continued construction of settlements as an obstacle for peace.  Overall I felt the same as I did in watching the Hillary-Bernie debates.  They make you proud to be a Democrat.   If there was an applause meter, I think it would show that Hillary was far more warmly welcomed than either Trump or Cruz.

          I have little to say about Cruz except he is scary.  He is a war monger. He repeated his often stated quote that on his first day in office he would tear up the Iran deal.   This is nothing more than a red meat rant.  It is a terrible thought that this man could be president.  But here is my question, How would England, France, Germany, China   and Russia feel about the United States reneging on an agreement they had all signed on to?  The answer is obvious.  I am convinced Cruz would say he could not care less about their reactions.  This is the polar opposite of diplomacy.  Cruz never believed in diplomacy in the Senate.  That's why he is despised.  He is truly scary. 

       One last thing. on Cruz.  He loves to tell the story about how his nut job father was imprisoned in Cuba and somehow escaped to the United States.  He wants to leave the impression that his father was imprisoned by Castro.  Actually if his father was really in prison, over which there is some doubt, he was imprisoned by Bautista because he was a supporter of Castro.   Then Cruz went on to say that his father always thanked God that America exists as a refuge for the oppressed.    How then can Cruz support almost total restrictions on the oppressed from the Middle East and from Central America? Needless to say he never explains the contradiction.   I will never  understand how Cruz and his ilk can claim they follow the teachings of Jesus. 

       Now to P.T. Barnum. Both Hillary and Trump get secret service protection.  I don't know about Cruz.  Hillary came to the podium with the secret service agents nearby but relatively unobtrusive.  Trump came in and departed  with a phalanx of monster thugs surrounding him.  I don't think they were secret service.  I don't advocate for anyone to watch the speech.  But see if you can find the entrance.  The thugs look like Brown Shirts with suits. The comparison to Mussilini and Hitler continues.

         It is unfortunate that the cameras did not show the people who walked out as Trump got up to speak. I was thrilled that there was a silent protest. As he took the podium I could see that less than half the people shown in the audience applauded.  I thought the applause was generally muted.  The one thing that  really made me sick was when Trump said that this is the last year of Obama's presidency  and many people applauded.

         Trump opened by saying he would not patronize the audience and then went on to patronize  the audience the entire speech.    He tried to show his creds for his long support of Israel.  This I am not making up.  To prove his support, after 9/11 Rudy Guliani went to Israel to offer condolences  to families of victims.  Trump let Guliani use his plane.  He followed that by saying that in 2004 he was Grand Marshall of the Israel Day Parade in N.Y.  He said it was a very dangerous time and many people turned down the invitation.  But he bravely accepted.  I cannot make this up, but Trump can.

        Finally, Trump said he very carefully studied the Iran deal more than anyone else. Of course, he called it a disaster.  He did not give a single specific about the deal other than the false claim that the United States gave Iran $150 billion.  (Most of it was Iran's own money which had been frozen for years.)  He said it was a horrible deal and the United States got nothing in return.  He said that all Iran has to do is wait out the time period for not producing nuclear weapons.  So actually our side did get something.  Many argue that The P5 plus 1 did not get enough and should have held out for more.  But no one credibly says that our side got nothing.  And by the way Hillary pointed out that Iran has disposed of much of its nuclear materials and its centrifuges have been mothballed.

            My takeaway is that Trump is crazy and scary.  Cruz is just scary.  I did not see Kasich's speech but I understand it was excellent.  Bernie was invited but he had commitments to campaign out West. 

        So that's my perspective.  Thanks for reading.

 

Richard

SAM LOGAN DEMOCRAT FOR WEST BLOOMFIELD TWP SUPERVISOR!

"As a local businessman and an official Laker, I care about my hometown and want to bring peace and prosperity to the township board. The residents deserve community leadership that will listen to them and also help guide them with positive decisions made with integrity and candor." 

Some of Sam's local endorsements include Rabbi Joseph Krakoff (Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network), Charlie Brock (State Jr Vice Commander of the Disabled American Veteran Association), Academy Award Winner Sue Marx and President of the Rotary Club of West Bloomfield Dr. Henry Maicki.

"I pledge to champion our wonderful community and accentuate the high moral values our residents. Our diversity of population is a wonderful thing and the glorious aesthetic of our shared Lakes area is a gem of metro-Detroit that is resplendent."

Sam himself is also an active member of the Rotary Club, as well as the Optimists Club of West Bloomfield, Tuskegee Airmen Inc Organization, SAG/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences - Michigan Chapter. Sam is also a member of the West Bloomfield / Lakes area Democrats Club and is being brought in as a board member next week.

Last month, Sam partnered up with his alma mater West Bloomfield High School (Class of 2001) and Frankel Jewish Academy as the co-founder and sponsor of the West Bloomfield Student Film Festival and Exhibition.

"Arts and Music education are pivotal to the growth of any community as part of the school system. The youth of West Bloomfield have the drive to take us forward in a positive direction and I am proud to play a part of giving them an opportunity to showcase their wonderful talents."

Sam holds an undergraduate degree awarded from University of Michigan; a Master's degree in Communication Management from the world renowned Northwestern University (Illinois) and also studied abroad at London's historic Guildhall School.

A proven resume of bringing economic value to Michigan, having success with contracts, handling finances and being in a position of team management are a staple of Sam Logan's endeavors - most recently having served as a Supervising Producer on the Emmy winning nationally syndicated health and wellness TV Series "Ask Dr. Nandi" (made in Michigan and airing in over 85 million homes across the USA) and as Executive Producer on "Approaching Midnight" - a military themed feature length film which donated a portion of its box office proceeds from Emagine Theatres to the American Legion. Sam's passionate media work for non-profit organizations has included the Safe House Center of Ann Arbor women's shelter and the Furniture Bank of Southeastern Michigan.

www.VoteSamLogan.com

AN OPEN LETTER TO BERNIE SANDERS AND HILLARY CLINTON

Please use the debate tonight to expose the ruthlessness of our Michigan Tea Party dominated government.  Flint is only the tip of the iceberg.  The Governor, the Legislature, and the courts have conspired to destroy public education, the Democratic Party and democracy itself.  We now have the most oppressive state government since Jim Crow!

 

Our legislators use a law forbidding a referendum against any law including an appropriation; so they write an appropriation into every bill they expect the public would want to overturn!

 

When the citizens had a chance to vote on the Emergency Manager proposal, they voted overwhelmingly to turn it down.  However,

Governor Snyder and his legislature rewrote the law and added an appropriation clause that made it impervious to the public will. 

 

 “This legislation demonstrates that we clearly heard, recognized and respected the will of the voters,” Snyder said. “It builds in local control and options while also ensuring the tools to protect communities and schools districts’ residents, students and taxpayers.”  It was essentially the same law!

 

All major predominantly Black cities were taken over and crushed by the emergency manager law.   More than half of our African-American citizens were placed under the absolute dictatorship of Emergency Managers who could break contracts  - except those with a bank, and fire elected officials.  The toothless elected city councils and school boards were required to meet, but not allowed to decide anything!

 

The straight ticket that is the preferred way that over 250,000 voters in Wayne County express themselves, but it was written out of our voting choices by a new law including an appropriation clause passed by the same legislature and signed by the same governor.

 

And now for the last straw:

This legislation was the last bill to pass the Legislature in December, growing at the last minute from a non-controversial bill that had passed the Senate unanimously at 13 pages, into a totally revamped 53 pages that was passed with no public hearings and with only Republican votes.

 

The bill prohibits local (school and library) officials from publicly discussing ballot proposals or millage issues in the 60 days leading up to an election. It has been blasted by municipal and school district officials as an official state “gag order” and a violation of free speech.

For more about the leadership of our state view the following video from the Rachel Maddow blog:

Rick Snyder policy ideas yield string of disasters for Michigan: http://on.msnbc.com/1pr2Yys 

 

 

Al Halper

Report from Make Government Work Forum #3